Abstract

The application of biotechnology in the modification of organisms or organismsâ€™ by-products for specific use formed the basis of learning about crop variety improvement, crop pests and diseases management which underpinned the development of treatment. In sugar cane cultivation, biotechnology has produced a significant effect on the improvement of cane quality, reduced cane losses to diseases and pests and alleviated the chemical input of weed control methods which has the advantage of reducing environmental degradation. Through biotechnology, farmers have raised improved and high-yielding sugarcane crops, used organisms or their by-products to fertilise, adapted to given agroecology and controlled pests and diseases. Although, biotechnology alone cannot solve all problems associated with sugar cane production in Nigeria and other Northern African countries; however, it has the potential to address specific problems in sugar cane productivity such as improved yield, increased resistance to drought, pests and diseases, diversified techniques for weed management, enhanced nutritional value of the sugar produced from the high productivity sugar cane, reduced environmental impacts of sugar cane production, reduced post-harvest losses and enhanced market competitiveness. The limiting factors to the ability of Nigeria and North African countries to benefit from advances in modern biotechnology are the lack of scientific and technological capacity and the low level of development in the biotechnological enterprise. The challenge, therefore, is how to effectively harness and apply the cluster of techniques that comprise biotechnology to radically transform sugarcane farming systems in these countries.